Report: Timberwolves re-sign Budinger

Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - The Minnesota Timberwolves have brought
back forward Chase Budinger on a three-year contract, according to multiple
reports that included the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Yahoo!Sports reported Tuesday that the deal has a total value of $16 million,
with Budinger holding a player option in the final year of the pact.

Acquired in a trade with Houston just prior to the 2012 NBA Draft, Budinger
appeared in just 33 games in his first season with Minnesota due to a knee
injury that required surgery. The Arizona product averaged 9.4 points and 3.1
rebounds while mostly serving in a sixth-man role.

A second-round (44th overall) selection of the Rockets in the 2009 draft,
Budinger has averaged 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 35.8 percent
from 3-point range over four NBA seasons. The 25-year-old earned $942,000 in
2012-13, the final year of his rookie contract.

Budinger's retention lessens the chances of the Timberwolves re-signing
veteran small forward Andrei Kirilenko, who opted out of the last year of his
contract last week. Minnesota also selected UCLA small forward Shabazz
Muhammad with one of its two first-round picks in last Thursday's draft.